Blog

Injecting L'Oreal Serum into your face - why would this happen?

Injectable Fillers
Posted 7 years ago

A pattern we see --and wish would go away-- is the self-injection of illegal, inappropriate or unknown materials used to plump lips, butt, or face.

We've read terrible butt augmentation stories, received pleas for help to remove injectable substances and seen requests for advice on self-administering Restylane. This week a site visitor posted the veritable icing on the cake: "I injected a L'oreal skin product into my face".

A bad trend is self-injection by products like fake Botox Why are people self-injecting?

It's hard to explain. Perhaps we're seeing a sign of the down economy, where self-injecting is viewed as a money saver. Greater accessibility is another theory; it's getting easier for contaminated materials to get into the public's hands (with disasterous side effects). This theory has merit:

20 Highest Rated Cosmetic Surgery Procedures

Posted 7 years ago

As we announced today, the ratings of cosmetic treatments identified some clear leaders (and, inevitably, some laggards). The 20 highest rated, with ratings being those treatment called "Worth It", may surprise you — many of the top-rated are invasive procedures that are expensive and painful, but the results provide a high degree of satisfaction.
READ MORE

Brooke Shields Latisse advertising slammed by Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports slams Latisse and the Brooke Shields ad that's been then center of the $14.5M Latisse advertising campaign.

With 88% of our readers saying Latisse is "worth it", do you think the Consumer Reports video lacks balance?

Johnson & Johnson kills Evolence, cosmetic wrinkle filler

A division of Johson & Johnson, Ortho Dermatologics, sent out notice that Evolence--a wrinkle filler--was being taken off the market and the product is up for sale. The Ortho website for Evolence is said to be "under construction."

Evolence has failed to gain traction in a market crowded with alternatives like Restylane and Juvederm. On RealSelf.com patients have complained about Evolence results more than any comparable wrinkle treatment, with 35% saying Evolence was "worth it."

The recent Evolence posting by a patient complained about lumps:

"Ughh...I am so scared. Had two syringes of Evolence injected 4 days ago (nasolabial folds) and I have a hard bumpy line on one side with redness and the other side looks maybe 25% better but with red bumps...and it still hurts. I am feeling very disappointed and worried that those bumps and lumps will stay...I don't look better at all!!!"

The difficulty of injecting Evolence may have led to its demise in the aesthetics market. Dermatologist Dr. Mary Lupo explains that "Evolence is a very stiff product...It also must be injected with a larger needle and requires a lot of massage to prevent lumping, so bruising is very likely. Lumping is a real possibility." Lupo adds that patients should "Proceed with caution."

plastic surgery to evade casino security

Plastic Surgery
Posted 7 years ago

1. Help me get past casino security

Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Fleming was visited by a professional gambler wanting plastic surgery. "He wanted to totally change his physical appearance because he was being monitored in Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos." Dr. Fleming refused to do the surgery for obvious reasons.

2. I want to look good -- dead

Kamran Jafri, MD, a New York City Facial Plastic Surgeon, was asked to do a facelift by a terminally ill cancer patient so "she would look her best for her funeral."

Hair Loss Treatment
Posted 7 years ago

If you're considering buying a wig to wear during your chemotherapy treatments, there are many things to take into consideration, especially cost (wigs prices can range from about $100 on up to $6,000).

Guest post by Romi Cortier.

Romi is a celebrity hair guru in Hollywood, CA.

I recently worked with a client during this process. I met her at the wig maker's studio where I gave her various short haircuts that we photographed for fun. Ultimately, we took her hair fairly short, leaving a little length in the bangs. This helped the wig maker to get a near perfect fit until her hair had completely fallen out.

Cellulite Treatment
Posted 7 years ago

The British department store John Lewis reportedly sells 25,000 pairs of Scala cellulite fighting tights each month. The store promises the Brazilian-made tights work:

Fight cellulite and create a seamless silhouette with no gym required! Sounds too good to be true? New to John Lewis, Scala’s range of Anti-Cellulite underwear can do just that! Perfect for when you need to squeeze into that dress…

What's Scala's secret cellulite treatment? Crystals.

Breast Implants
Posted 7 years ago

The more questions I answer for RealSelf the more I have realized that there seems to be a lack of help, for some patients, to determine the correct size and style of breast implant for breast augmentation.

Guest post by Christopher L. Hess, MD, FACS.
Dr. Hess is a plastic surgeon based in Fairfax, Virginia.

Whether this is due to a failure of plastic surgeons to assist their patients in the decision making process, a lack of understanding on the patient’s part of the complexity involved in choosing implants or an over abundance of haphazard information from both the surgeon and the internet that ultimately confuses patients, I’m not really sure.

So in an effort to help all patients here are 10 things patients need to think about when choosing breast implants.

Liposuction
Posted 7 years ago

Anyone having undergone the assault of friends pushing Arbonne skin care or Monavie acai juice, can attest. Saying "no thanks" is difficult. The effectiveness of the direct or MLM sales strategy isn't lost on Ardyss, which has enrolled an estimated 140,000 distributors of Body Magic.

Posted 7 years ago

Should you be contemplating a cosmetic procedure for a skin condition or complaint--such as sun damage or facial wrinkles--you're likely to be extremely focused on getting informed on all your options before making a dermatology appointment. Afterall, nearly all cosmetic treatments are not covered by insurance and can represent a significant personal investment.

Dermatologists who offer cosmetic services, such as laser resurfacing or Restylane injections, increasingly see the advantage in helping aesthetic consumers find reliable information on the web by connecting with consumers on social media sites.